Dying
by shegal92
Summary: While Shego clings to life, Drakken sits by her hospital bed and reflects on her past. Who would be so cruel as to take her whole world away? Where did it all start? And can he save her? Rated for violence and light swearing. Revised!
1. The Hospital

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone besides my characters; War Hawk, Tigress, Golden Arrow, and a few assorted others. You can probably figure out who.

Dying

By shegal92

"_Tomorrow is not a promise, it is a chance."_ –Rachel Joy Scott, Rachel's Tears

"Oh God, _please_ don't let her die," Dr. Drakken begged under his breath. He rested his head for a second on the steering wheel, tears spilling from his eyes, "Please, _please_ God don't let her die…"

His head lifted as he looked through the blurred traffic. Bumper to bumper with no end in sight. Everyone was trying to evacuate as if they were the next victims. He should've flown the UFO, air watch be darned. Global Justice should know better than to think he'd hurt them.

Of all the places she could've picked, she picked it exactly half way around the world. He snorted and wiped his eyes; alright, so she didn't _pick_ this, he relented.

He went back to surfing the radio channels, but all he heard was useless garble, just a bunch of blabbing about how tragic the loss of Team Go was. He heard her name and turned it up.

"…Shego is currently in Intensive Care, the only one who survived the attack on Go Tower. She has yet to gain consciousness, and the villain responsible for the attack is only rumored. We'll keep you updated on the latest-" He spun the volume knob down, his blood boiling in rage. Dumb newscasters… They hadn't answered his most crucial questions.

Why had she gone home for the weekend? Why were all five of them at home at that time? Why were they slaughtered with all of their fighting experience and powers? What kind of heartless, soulless bottom feeder would do something this atrocious?

Finally, he arrived in the Go City hospital's parking lot. He parked in a handicap spot and raced towards the ER doors.

_Hold on, Shego. I'm coming, just hold on. _

Worrying about her didn't come natural; she bounced back so fast he didn't have time to. There was only one other time in his life that he had felt so much fear for her. He didn't like to think about that night.

He rushed through the doors to the front desk. A girl hardly out of med school was smacking her gum so loud, he could hear it over the heavy metal music blasting out of her headphones. Her legs propped on the desk, she was glancing through a Villain's Digest magazine. He rang the little service bell and she glared up at him. She pulled the headset down to hang on her neck, her feet thudding to the ground as her magazine slapped onto the desk.

"Whaddya want?" She sneered, sizing him up.

"I need to know what room Shego's in," he stated.

"Sorry, no one gets to see the celeb," her eyes then lit up with recognition as she eyed his scar, "You're that Doctor Dragon dude, arentcha?" Her gum smacked even harder, if that was possible.

"Yes, I'm Doctor Drakken, and could you please look it up?" She smirked, the same spiteful, here-comes-trouble way that Shego did.

"I don't know it off the top of my head; people don't tell me this stuff. It's probably on the computer though…" He grabbed the girl by the collar and he got her real close to his face, so close she could smell his disgusting breath.

"Tell me where Shego is before I obliterate you into Intensive Care yourself," he gritted his teeth.

"Rrrroom 213!" She stuttered. He dropped her like a hot potato and sprinted down the hall.

She propped her feet up, picking up her magazine and putting her headphones back on.

"Jeez, what's his problem?"

The elevator wasn't going nearly as fast as Drakken wanted, especially as the inevitable question popped up in his mind. What if she was already… gone? Drakken couldn't even stomach the other word. The one that meant she was gone forever, not just for a short time, and it was only for a short time…right? So she was just gone, not the other word.

There didn't seem to be anything "intense" about the care in Room 213. It was oddly quiet, and dark save for one row of lights above the lone bed. A young woman around Shego's age was checking the machines, though she didn't have on a nurse's uniform. Actually, there didn't seem to be any nurses around at all…

The girl sank down onto the foot of the bed, her thin frame curving into herself. Her ebony hair hung around her pale face like a curtain. Drakken remembered the girl from the few times Shego had a visitor; she was the bird man's daughter, War Hawk.

He cleared his throat and her lavender eyes met his, puffy red around them and bloodshot.

"I was wondering when you'd get here," she said softly, motioning to the chair beside the bed. He sank into it.

"Traffic was a nightmare," he murmured. He forced himself to look at Shego, fighting back a gasp.

"Is she…"

"She's stable," War Hawk finished quickly, her fingers playing with each other, "The doctors are pretty sure it's a coma, trauma to the head and all that." Drakken felt the tears coming; had the woman in the bed resembled the Shego he knew, they would've stayed back. It couldn't be her.

First of all, she was in a hospital gown, the closest thing to a dress she had worn in a long time. Her long midnight hair was spread out over the pillow like dark fire. The green tint to her skin was absent, her face deathly pale even against the white sheets. This hardly seemed like the girl who rushed into battle day after day, living her life on the edge without regrets. He tried to remember her saying something sarcastic and witty, but the image was lost looking at her delicate state now.

This had to be how the seven dwarfs felt as they saw Snow White in her glass chamber. She was dead, yet alive. But she also wasn't alive, she was dead. It was confusing, trying to find out how to put it.

His eyes didn't leave Shego's closed ones as he spoke.

"Who did this?" War Hawk shook her head.

"I don't know. I was coming home from my shift... I rang the doorbell half a dozen times, and no one answered. I tried knocking, paging, calling but nothing worked. So finally I let myself in, thinking maybe they were busy with something..." Her voice cracked, recalling the memory, "I found them in the team room… It was a slaughter. I tried the twins for a pulse, then Mego, then Hego…"

She twisted away like she was recoiling from the memory. It was only then that Drakken remembered that War Hawk wasn't just Shego's friend; she had also been Hego's girlfriend.

"She was on top of him… Trying to help him, I guess. I pulled her off…it was raspy, but she was breathing. I called 911, and Dad… Both of them were there in less than five minutes." Her shoulders jerked in the beginning of a sob, "He was crying; Team Go's arch enemy cried when he saw them dead…"

Drakken thought of reaching out to her, touching her hand or shoulder…something. But he didn't. He felt paralyzed under the weight of it all. He supposed he had lived in some fantasy version of villainy, where everyone walked away from battles perfectly fine. No murder, just dreams…

War Hawk took control of herself, drawing a shaky breath.

"You'd think the problem would be how many enemies they have, but no. I mean everyone had a little resentment about the whole hero thing, but it's pretty much water under the bridge. Even back then, no one hated Shego. She wasn't the self-righteous one, and had been known to let the occasional villain slip past her guard."

"It might not be a question of how much they were hated, but who would have the ability to kill them," he murmured, "I don't know many villains who have it in them to murder an ex-team in cold blood." What little color was in War Hawk drained from her face.

"…I know someone who fits both of those criteria."

"Who?"

"Tigress."

"The opponent from high school? It's been years since that incident at the cliff."

"Doesn't matter. She holds grudges for obscene amounts of time," she glanced at Shego, "I guess they're the only ones who know for certain, though."

**A/N:** I can't believe it's been six years since I wrote this story. At the time it was the most heartbreaking, graphic, angsty piece of writing I had ever done. Now… Well, it's kind of sad. So I'm polishing this up, making it a bit longer and changing scenes and such to bring it to its full potential.


	2. The Beginnings of Partners

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone besides my characters; War Hawk, Tigress, Golden Arrow, and a few assorted others. You can probably figure out who.

_"First: In order for the motion of an object to change, a force must be acted upon it. Third: Any time a force acts from one object to another, there is an equal and opposite force acting back on the original object."_ ~A paraphrased explanation of two of Sir Isaac Newton's Laws of Motion

Drew Lipsky straightened his papers in his new classroom, because that was what teachers did, or so he recalled from his school days. Only one more class and then his first day as a high school science teacher would be done. He glanced down at the schedule and saw that it was a freshman science class. Hopefully there weren't any trouble makers in this class; his nerves were just about fried.

The bell rang and the 9th graders started to file in slowly. He watched as they came through, feeling sympathetic towards the low dogs on the high school totem pole. It hadn't been that long since he had been forced into lockers or trashcans. He could already see the stereotypes they played to; the nerds, the slackers, those last minute project people, the gossip hounds, the snackers (he'd have to nip them in the bud), the sleepers-in-class-ers, and the ever faithful spacers. It didn't look like an especially difficult class… When he glanced towards the last ones through, though, his thoughts changed.

A tussle had started at the door and a redhead had pinned another girl against the wall. Dr. Lipsky stood, his mouth opening but he couldn't find the voice to speak up. After a couple of seconds with the other girl choking, the redhead snarled (literally _snarled_) and broke away. It was only then that he got a good look at her.

He couldn't tell how long her hair truly was; it was braided in a complicated way, falling down nearly to the ground. Her clothes were risquely cut of the latest fashion of the most expensive brands, but that wasn't what caught his eyes. Her skin was covered in sleek fur, orange with the black stripes of a tiger. Sharp nails, fangs, and cattish eyes concluded that she was some sort of tiger-human hybrid. She made her way to the back of the room, taking a seat near the window and gazing out it.

The victim… Well, looking at her, he couldn't call her that. Emerald eyes shot him a glare as she turned to find a seat, her black ponytail streaked with lime-green highlights. Her jeans, sneakers and t-shirt were fashionable, like she was trying to look careless. The furthest seat available was in the second row and she sank into it, folding her arms. Did her skin have a green tint to it…? Nah, it had to be the lights.

No one else acted like the fight was out of the ordinary. The bell rang and he realized his position again. He cleared his throat.

"Um, hello…class. I'm Dr. Lipsky, your new..." Immediately, there was a problem.

"I bet even Mr. Miller was better than this freak." Window Girl sneered to the girl sitting beside her. He took a deep breath and kept going.

"…I will be your teacher for freshman science. Now, er, let's take roll call real quick…"

It didn't take long to figure out the red head's name; when he called for a "Hilary Felina", she raised her forefinger up like she was calling a cab before turning back to her conversation. Her rival took a little longer and he squinted when he came to the bottom of the list. There was no last name, and what a strange thing to call your kid.

"Shaygo, Seejo…"

"It's pronounced _exactly_ as it's spelled, moron. She-go, a pronoun and a verb."

The class turned towards the girl; even the red head arched an eyebrow in surprise. The one who had spoken had her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes glaring into him. The intensity of the glare made him nervous, but he tried not to show it.

"That, that's your real name?" He asked incredulously. She swung her feet up onto the desk, leaning back.

"Well you can always call me Youra."

"Youra what?"

"Youra Worst Nightmare." A hush fell over the class as they waited for his next words.

A seasoned teacher would've handled it quickly, squishing the rebellion before it even blossomed. A quick-witted person would have a comeback so clever it would've left her speechless. Flustered, Dr. Lipsky stuttered and growled, his hands clenched into fists.

"Well, Youra, Youra… Gonnabe… Miserable as long as you act that way." He at least fought the urge to stick out his tongue at her.

A light went on in her eyes, making them sparkle mischievously. Her lips curled up in a smirk as she seemed to size him up.

"Bring it."

**III**

"I'm sorry, you two. Visiting hours are over." A nurse gave War Hawk and Dr. Drakken a fake apologetic smile.

They rose from their seats and Drakken was surprised how stiff he was… and hungry and thirsty and that he needed to use the little boy's room. He glanced down at his watch. 12:34 a.m. Wow, the nurses must've been generous.

He glanced over his shoulder one last time before returning to her side.

"Don't worry, Shego, I'll be here first thing in the morning. Rest up now and get better soon, alright?" He brushed some hair out of her face before slipping outside.

He was surprised to see War Hawk waiting for him. He cleared his throat, turning away.

"Well, studies show that patients can respond to…" He sighed, "You think I'm crazy, don't you?" She shook her head.

"No, I had an hour long conversation with her once she got out of the E.R., about what I needed to get done and my day at work and the view outside her window… Anything, really, to get our minds off of what was going on," she laughed softly, "Gosh, I said _our_ minds…"

She sucked in a breath, squeezing her eyes tight before going back to normal.

"Do you need somewhere to stay?" Drakken bit his lip.

"I was actually going to stay at the tower… Keep it safe and try to get the police out of there. You know how much she hates the police." War Hawk nodded.

"I've got a key to override the security in my purse if you want to walk down to my car with me."

**III**

What had started as a mispronounced name had grown into a full scale struggle between the two. Shego dished it and Dr. Lipsky threw it right back at her. She'd call him an ignorant twit and he'd respond with an offhand comment about how he wasn't the one using the wrong equipment for the wrong job. She'd lash out about his "wannabe mullet" and he'd remark how she must've been raised in a barn with such manners.

They both loved it.

But today was an off-day. She didn't question his PHD or point out his tiny hands when she came through the door. She was actually…quiet, staring at the overhead intently. He couldn't've won their battle of wills; she was much too stubborn to give in so easily. She didn't even run out the door when the bell started to rang, instead slowly gathering her stuff and dragging her feet. Usually there was a trail of smoke behind her as she left for the day.

She glanced at him, caught his eye, then hurriedly looked away. She shifted her weight, though didn't make much effort to leave.

"Miss Go, you've actually been behaving yourself today. Are you sick?" She gave a half hearted smirk, walking up to her desk. She didn't even look up at him as she spoke hardly above a whisper.

"I don't get it."

"Well Shego I'm implying that if you were ill then your demeanor would-"

"No, Dr. Lipsky. I don't get _it_, any of it." She started fishing things out of her backpack, laying them out on his desk.

He scooted his chair closer as he leaned over the paper. He realized with a shock that they were the majority of the homework assignments. Some had angry scribbled out answers, but most were completely blank. He frowned, starting to rifle through them.

"Alright, let's get these in order to see where you started to neglect your work." She grabbed a chair and pulled it up, "Is this how it is for all of your classes?"

"No just science. Can't make it stick," she murmured, starting to help him. He couldn't say that he approved of what she had done, but he could relate to it. Everyone had their weaknesses; his had been band.

"Well, at least you came before the test…even if it's the afternoon before." Shego shrugged.

"I've got a lot on my plate; I'm lucky I could fit this in," she murmured.

He straightened the papers after he organized them.

"You know what I found helpful when I went to school?"

"Finding a kind of underwear that was wedgie-proof?"

"Besides that. Whenever I got new material, I would go over it that night until I understood it, so I didn't have a whole lot of work to do before an exam."

"What if you can't get it and you've been trying for hours?"

"Take a breather and come back to it, or try it the next night. One should never be afraid to ask questions, even in class." Shego snorted.

"You've obviously never had your arch enemy a few rows behind you waiting for a weakness to open up." She shook her head, "I won't give her the satisfaction."

Drew didn't ask about their history. Shego probably wouldn't tell him even if he did. Girls would be girls. Instead, he set down the first assignment, one he'd given three days into the semester.

"Let's start here, shall we? How long can you stay for?"

"As long as I can. My mom threatened to kill me if I didn't get my grade up," he chuckled.

"Isn't that what mothers are for? Badgering?" She stared at him.

"No…she really will kill me if I don't get my grades up." He blinked.

"Er…alright."

Dr. Lipsky stayed with Shego until ten that night going over the material, upsetting the janitor no doubt. He offered her a ride but she shook her head, heading off in the direction of the nearest Go City transit stop. She had already asked a lot of him and swallowed so much pride her stomach ached; a ride home would officially say that she had no self-respect.


	3. Bird's Eye View

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone besides my characters; War Hawk, Tigress, Golden Arrow, and a few assorted others. You can probably figure out who.

_"Fear is the thought of admitted defeat."_ ~Elbert Hubbard

Chloe Barrack had done a lot of things she wasn't proud of.

Most of them had come about because of her father suckering her into donning a mask and joining him on his bird-brained quest to rule the world…or at least expand preservation sites for endangered avians. From theft to vandalism to assault to malicious use of Cuddle Buddies, she knew her way around the dark side of the law.

But there were some things that were nobody's fault but her own.

Five days passed, but Shego never woke up. People came in and out, but none of them saw her so much as twitch. The heart rate monitor went up and down, up and down. Her chest's quick rise and fall correlated with her short, shallow gasps of air. If one didn't pay that close attention, especially with her chalky pallor, she could've been mistaken for dead. Drakken and War Hawk were the only constant visitors, watching over their sleeping princess vigilantly.

On Day Six, War Hawk found herself alone. There wasn't a visitor or a nurse to be found. Odd, but she supposed Shego was in stable condition, and there wasn't much her friends could do for her.

War Hawk took her post on the chair beside Shego's bed.

"Just you and me right now," she murmured, pulling a sandwich out of her blood-stained scrubs. She took a bite, chewing idly, "It wasn't too exciting in the E.R. today; some dumb boy cut his hand open playing with his dad's samurai sword. 16 stitches. You would've appreciated the blood spurts."

War Hawk looked over Shego's body, frowning.

"Not even a twitch for that? Fine, I'll keep my stories to myself," she muttered. She got about halfway through her sandwich, before she chuckled and smirked, "Yanno, it's kind of amazing, you and I. I mean we've known each other since what, diapers, and you're still my best friend. Not even the whole hero/villain thing messed us up. True, I couldn't exactly invite you over because the entire "house" was booby-trapped for your DNA, but when we were out of costume, there was nothing we couldn't do together."

She wrapped up the other half of her sandwich, her throat suddenly dry. She set it on the bedside table, as if in offering.

"I'd chalk it up to the fact I wasn't as into the whole "take over the world" thing as much as Dad, but that doesn't explain the rest of our friends," she shook her head, "God, I hated all of those birds… Always squawking and pooping and biting. I despise birds with every fiber of my being. But, you do what you gotta for the ones you love, right?" She glanced at Shego's face. If it had been up to Shego, their powers would've been used for personal reasons mostly. Being agents of justice? It was never Shego's thing.

She shook her head.

"You were such a good friend, you know that? You kept secrets, you listened, you bailed me out when I needed someone…sometimes literally," she bit her lip, hanging her head, "We've had this fight a thousand times, and you keep saying that it's fine and that you understand. Maybe now you'll finally accept my apology."

She raised her head, staring at Shego.

"…I'm sorry that you felt you had no other options. I'm sorry that redhead started in on your territory. I'm sorry about my part in having you go evil. But most of all," she took a pained breath, "I'm sorry I turned my back on you when you needed me most, no matter what my reasons were. You never deserved our betrayal."

**FLASHBACK**

Senior year was actually going Chloe Barrack's way. She had the greatest boyfriend in all of go City; its super strong hero Hego of Team Go. As long as she didn't bring up her or her father's alter egos, the relationship went smoothly. Her BFF since diapers and her were closer than ever, filling out college applications and eyeing apartments to share the rent and keeping a look-out for that _perfect_ senior prom dress. And mostly because she didn't have to tell about her criminal history, she had been accepted with a partial scholarship to Go City University, her father's alma mater.

There were only two wrenches thrown into her fantasy; one was Team Go's greatest threat and the other was a fault line forming between the villainesses and Shego.

War Hawk had watched one by one hers and Shego's closest friends join Tigress. Their relationships had been based on a mutual respect for which side of the law they decided to go for; there was nothing personal about their actions in costume. Schemes were planned around Shego's schedule, and actually attempting to kill was frowned upon. Tigress was only only hench girl in school who didn't adhere to these unwritten etiquette rules.

War Hawk had watched incredulously as Mischief snubbed Shego for Tigress, the heroine's true arch enemy. Metaphor and Artica were soon to follow. Even Golden Arrow, who was practically the third musketeer in their group, refused to associate with them.

She hadn't seen Shego all morning, which was odd considering they had English together. She had ducked into the bathroom between classes, staring at the scene in front of her.

Shego was standing in front of the mirror, glaring down her reflection as she hunched over the sink. Her eyes were bloodshot and her hair disheveled, her body looking on the verge of collapse. It was odd that War Hawk noticed the absent smoke detector before the lit cigarette in one of her hands.

"Put that out, Shego," War Hawk grumbled, moving to grab the cigarette from her. Shego pulled her hand away.

"I'm not done with it!" She snapped. War Hawk huffed.

"Hon, I know you better than that. You wouldn't put a cig in your mouth if there was a gun pointed at your head."

Shego sighed, snuffing it out by the side of the sink.

"Now, tell me what's going on," War Hawk commanded. Shego snarled.

"I was out doing the hero thing. Yanno, we can't all do our jobs at our convenience," she muttered, glaring at War Hawk. She shook her head.

"I wasn't talking about you ditching class," she murmured.

Shego's gaze softened. There was nothing that they could hide from each other; they were too close of friends for that b.s.

"I'm just stressed, Chlo," she said, tossing the butt into the trash can, "You know how it is, trying to have a social life, keep grades and attendance up, all while holding down what should be considered a full-time job."

War Hawk arched an eyebrow. Shego growled.

"Geez, fine, it's not just that," she turned around, leaning back against the sink. She scuffed her foot on the ground, "It's that redhead chick and Klutzo."

"Again?"

"Again!" She shook her head, digging her nails into the porcelain, "I mean, really, who does she think she is? They don't look older than sixth grade, and have to get rides to their missions! But they're still there, taking the credit and making us look like idiots…"

"This could just be a phase, like the whole Team Impossible thing," War Hawk offered. Shego cracked her knuckles.

"…I really don't think so. For whatever reason, these little twerps woke up one day and decided they want to be heroes," she met War Hawk's eyes, "Could be the end."

"Don't say that," War Hawk shook her head fervently, "It's just a bump in the road. We'll get over it just like we always do. We want to defeat Team Go, not Team…"

"Possible."

"Seriously? Possible?"

"Just wait until you hear her catchphrases," Shego bit her lip, "There's…something else too."

"What?" She shifted her weight.

"I think I'm starting to be a klepto," War Hawk snickered…but Shego's glare cut her off, "I'm serious. I was so upset after that whole glory-taking episode, I went into a store and…stole stuff. Like that," she gestured towards the trash can. War Hawk furrowed her eyebrows.

"…maybe you should talk to someone about this," Shego snorted.

"Yeah, like who?" She shook her head, "Just because all of the villains and heroes know each other's normal identities doesn't mean I'm gonna tell just anyone what I do for extracurric," Shego glanced towards the exit as the bell rang, "You should probably go; you don't need another tardy."

"What about you?" Shego smirked, her old spunk starting to return.

"I'm not entirely sure I want to go to school today."

**END FLASHBACK**

"Am I a bad person for blaming Kim and Ron for the end of Team Go?" She asked hesitantly. Shego, predictably, didn't answer.

War Hawk took another swig of water, listening idly to the heart rate monitor's constant beeping. The noise didn't bother her, as long as the line spiked and fell.

"I guess they weren't the only reason you guys split up…but they were a good portion of it. A cheerleading redhead who "can do anything" and her clumsy-in-an-annoying-way best friend and partner? It sounds more like a sitcom than a team… Then again, I might be biased," she tucked the blankets around Shego, seeing as the nurse failed to do so, "I don't think that girl even sees villains as people."

She glanced up as she heard footsteps for the first time. Dr. Drakken peeked his head inside, looking hopefully at War Hawk. War Hawk shook her head and his shoulders fell. No news was better than bad news… Or so they said.

Dr. Drakken took War Hawk's post as she went to go use the bathroom. She felt like they were two living gargoyles, watching over Shego as if protecting her from harm.

**Flashback**

War Hawk jumped a bit as when she closed her locker, Tigress appeared from behind it.

"Hey Chloe," she greeted casually, as though they were close friends.

"Hey…Hilary." The name was awkward coming out; even on campus, where usually only other villainesses or Shego called each other by their fake names, she was known as Tigress. It wasn't like she could hide behind a mask with her fur; she was too recognizable.

Even the catty parts of War Hawk had to admit Tigress was beautiful in her exotic way. She was tall enough to be noticeable, but not Amazonian tall, curvy in all the right places. Thick red hair ended at the middle of her calves, and was almost luminous with its healthy sheen. She moved and fought with the grace and beauty of an acrobatic dancer.

War Hawk had no curves, battled on a daily basis with oily hair, and had her moments of clumsiness.

Her eyes were curiously soft, liquid chocolate as she spoke.

"I was wondering if you were free to do lunch this Saturday." What? Why? Her Majesty was descending her throne to slum it with her rival's cohort? Had to be politics.

"Sure, when and where?"

"Cardigán's at one?"

"Sounds great."

"See you then."

She loathed the idea of having lunch with Tigress, but unless you wanted to be constantly glancing over your shoulder for several months, you didn't say no to Tigress.

**III**

"It's a little strange, don't you think? Getting so chummy with your enemies?" An hour after arriving at Cardigán's, Tigress got to the point.

Cardigán's was an overpriced, over-pretentious restaurant. The kind that scoffed and turned their noses when they were referred to as an article of clothing; as though a dash changed "cardigan" to "cah-de-gahwn". Comparing her blouse and skirt to Tigress's riskily cut black dress; it looked like an Amish housewife and a Playboy bunny were enjoying a meal together.

"I mean, you're a villain for god's sake. You should act like one."

"I do. I just believe in separating work from my personal life," she took a bite of her salad. Tigress frowned.

"You can't treat villainy as some kind of part-time job."

"I can and I will."

Tigress sighed, folding her hands.

"Listen, War Hawk, the girls and I have been talking…"

"Don't act like they're your buddies. They can't stand you anymore than I can."

"…and we've decided that this whole lukewarm pseudo-friendship thing needs to quit. It's not professional, and it's holding us back." Us… The word twisted like a knife in her gut. Tigress had put the others through the inquisition and now it was her turn to convert or die.

"Tigress, you know I've never been in this for glory or riches; I'm just going along for the ride. Aviarius is the one who wants it all," she sipped at her water. Tigress's finger tapped softly on the side of her glass, staring off to one side.

"…how _is_ your dad, by the way?" A simple question, but the hair on the back of War Hawk's neck prickled.

"Fine," she snapped. Tigress's lips curled into a smile.

"Good… I heard through the grapevine he was having some knee trouble."

"His knees are fine."

Tigress motioned for the check.

"So you'll think about my offer?"

"If it makes you feel better, then sure." She continued holding her satisfied smirk as she signed.

"You know, sometimes when we're very close together, I can hear your heart pounding, like a trapped bird trying to escape a jar," she glanced up, asking curiously, "Are you afraid of me?"

War Hawk paused, before shaking her head.

"No," Tigress beamed.

"You're lying," she sang.

War Hawk was.

**III**

It was strange; Dad usually had the security system on if it was past midnight, regardless of what time she was getting in. War Hawk slipped inside around two in the Monday morning, a bag full of parts for his latest scheme over her shoulder. No lights were on, not even in the lab. She paused as she heard something dripping onto the ground. Either someone hadn't shut off a faucet all the way or the plumbing was on the fritz. Lovely…it was always hard getting repairmen to come up into the mountains, nonetheless into a lair. She flicked the lights on. She'd tell Dad later this morning, but right now she needed sleep; tomorrow was sch-

The bag hit the floor as War Hawk looked around the room, frozen in place. Corpses littered the ground or hung from the ceiling like morbid puppets, species ranging from the tiny sparrow to the large ostrich. Torn open, half eaten, spilled blood and entrails… War Hawk's knees buckled as she fought the urge to puke; the dripping _wasn't_ the plumbing, but rather drops of blood casually falling from the suspended avians. Her eyes followed as they made a distinct trail up the spiral staircase, a bald eagle nailed to a door.

A scream came from the deepest pits of herself.

"DADDY!"

Her run was stumbling, like her legs had turned into cooked pasta. Much too slowly, she made it to the door and ripped it open.

She started to cry as she saw him, lying peacefully in his nest-shaped bed, stirring sluggishly.

"Chloe?" He mumbled sleepily.

She was turned back into a child, jumping into his bed and clinging to him, sobbing.

"Daddy…"

Someone had broken in. He could've been beaten by the intruder into a bloody pulp. He could've been killed along with the birds, and she would've lost her father just as suddenly and violently as she had lost her mother all those years ago.

"Shhh, little birdie, I'm right here. Everything's alright," he crooned, holding her close and rubbing her back. She glanced over his shoulder, blinking away her blurry vision.

Painted in blood on the wall beside her father's bed, there was a message: "_**A friendly reminder you have a lot to lose with your current allegiance. Heart, Tig**_".

**III**

"Hego, we need to talk."

Hego paused in his rambling about how great the new homeless shelter was for the common good, glancing curiously at her.

"Alright, what's on your mind?" He beamed at her. She glanced around the courtyard; yeah, Tigress was there, watching them like a hawk.

She turned to face him, summoning up her best villain aura.

"I'm breaking up with you." He chuckled.

"What did I do this time? Handle you a little too rough on the last mission?"

"I'm serious. It's over."

She turned on her heels and forced herself to walk away. She made it four steps before Hego got over his shock.

"Chloe, wait! Let's talk about this!" She shook her head, fighting back tears she couldn't let him see. He had to believe that she hated him now; if he did, then it would save his life.

"There's nothing to talk about."

He chased after her, off campus and into an alley.

"Chloe…please. I love you," he pleaded.

She almost turned around. She almost hugged him, told him she was sorry, begged for forgiveness. But she kept the image of last night firmly in her head, trying to imagine the animals replaced with her loved ones. She wasn't about to risk it.

Her back still to him, War Hawk rolled up her sleeves until they were bare arms.

"I don't date heroes," she said venomously.

Long royal purple feathers slid out of her skin, forming twin wings. She took off, flying over Go City and climbing as high into the sky as she could. She put as much effort as possible into her arms so she wouldn't have to deal with the pain in her chest.

Artica had an older brother; Metaphor had a younger sister. Mischief had tons of family all over the place. Had Tigress threatened their families as well? Was that the only reason for the shift away from Shego?

**III**

" "I don't date heroes"? Seriously?" Shego snapped.

War Hawk was glad she had locked the door; she didn't need Aviarius coming in to see her talking to a member of Team Go, even if it was just through giant screens.

"It's none of your business why I broke up with him."

"Doi, he's my _brother_ and you're my _best friend_. I've got double rights to know."

War Hawk hissed, leaning back in her seat and folding her arms.

"I can't tell you why." Or else there'd be hell to pay, "All I can say is I can't risk hanging out with good guys." Shego's face dropped.

"So…she got to you."

War Hawk was silent. Shego rubbed at her neck.

"…it's fine. I understand."

"Really?"

"Yeah, so I'll talk to you later…or not."

The last thing War Hawk saw before the screen went black was Shego's pained, lost, furious, and utterly hopeless expression, one that she could never get out of her mind.

**END FLASHBACK**

She should've stood her ground. She should've never left their sides. She should've given them the support they needed instead of running away like a coward. This had to make the Top Five Worst Mistakes of Chloe Barrack's Life, if not _the_ top one.

And yet, after all was said and down, Shego forgave her. Just like that.

Drakken tried to watch War Hawk when she wasn't paying attention to him, which was pretty easy considering she seemed lost in her own thoughts. Only now was he connecting the two identities of one of his former students and Aviarius's daughter. How could he have missed it before?

"Yanno, Tigress and Hego dated," War Hawk remarked softly. Drakken blinked.

"Really?"

"Really, for two months. Then he dumped her after prom. We all swore it was mind control," her hand swept over her hair, pulling it to one shoulder. Drakken bit his lip.

"I'm sorry for your loss," he murmured. She shook her head softly.

"It's…okay, for now. Shego's been keeping my mind off of him, well, except for the funeral."

That's right; the funeral was a few days ago. He hadn't really considered going; they hadn't known him from any other mad scientist, and it was sure to be crowded. No, the only Go he was truly mourning was one that hadn't quite left yet.

It seemed impossible to him that time was continuing, but the proof was in front of him. Clocks ticked, calendars changed, events came and went… But he was frozen, unable to move forward without his right hand girl. He'd wait for her, no matter how long it took, because she needed him…for once.

**FLASHBACK**

Dr. Lipsky waited, just like he had been for the past few weeks, sitting at his desk and idly grading papers. He'd glance at the door every time someone walked by, but it was never her.

Four years. Four years, regardless of whether she had one of his classes or not, Shego would come in every Tuesday. Whether she did her homework while he went about his teacherly duties, or they just talked, she rarely missed their meetings.

Had he done something to upset her?

He gave up around four, packing up his things and locking his room. The corridors were empty, except for one girl hunched down by the water fountain. He recognized her from last year's chemistry class; Chloe, a quiet girl who had done quite well for the number of absences she had accumulated.

"Miss Barrack?" She jumped at his voice and he held his hands up. Her eyes were red and puffy, and even now she was trying to hide them.

"Hi, Dr. Lipsky. I'm sorry, I'm just…hiding."

"From who?" He asked. She drew her knees towards her chest.

"The world," she admitted. Dr. Lipsky gave a sympathetic smile.

"Mind if I hide with you?" She gave a small smile back, shaking her head. He slumped down onto the ground next to her, stretching his legs out.

It was quiet for a while, just the two of them alone with their thoughts. Chloe was first to speak.

"How do you help a friend when it might cost everything, and you're not willing to pay that price?" She asked softly. Dr. Lipsky frowned thoughtfully.

"…Shego?" He guessed. She stared at him.

"How did you know?"

"I might be a teacher, but I'm not blind. I've seen you two hanging out before," he insisted, heaving a sigh, "…I'm worried about her too."

Chloe picked at a stray strand on her pants.

"I can tell you what I know. Some redhead's been messing with her and her brothers, plus all of her friends had to basically ditch her."

"…girls are cruel," Dr. Lipsky decided.

"Amen to that," Chloe muttered, "Now she's isolating herself. She needs to talk to someone, but she refuses to see any "shrink"."

Dr. Lipsky thought about it for a minute, chewing the inside of his cheek softly.

"Well, I'm not _that_ kind of doctor," he remarked, "Maybe I should stop waiting for her to see me and go see her myself."

"Might work," Chloe mused, "Try to catch her between villains."

"What?"

"Never mind."

**III**

Graduation day. It had come too soon for Drew Lipsky. As pathetic as it was, his best friend in Go City was graduating and probably out of his life for good.

The waffles were a little soggy, but who was he to complain about free food? Especially when it was just supposed to be for the seniors…

"Knock knock."

He glanced up from his limp fruit to see her leaning against the doorway, carrying breakfast in one hand and a carton of chocolate milk in the other. Her gown was draped over one shoulder, and her cap was cockeyed on her head.

"Shego! What are you doing? Shouldn't you be with your fellow seniors during your breakfast?" She shrugged.

"The tables are full," she said, hooking a chair with her foot and dragging it over to his desk, "Besides, I want to have Last Brunch with the only teacher I actually liked." Dr. Lipsky's heart fluttered and warmed. Rare praise.

She set her graduation attire aside and drowned her pancakes in the pool of syrup she had created on her plate.

"You've been standing me up lately," he commented after he swallowed a bite of sausage. She shrugged.

"Sorry, been dealing with a lot," she took a sip of her milk, "…do you believe in the end of the world, Dr. Lipsky?"

He chewed over the question, thinking his answer through before responding.

"I suppose eventually the world will end, limited resources and such. Do I believe in it bursting into flames or canyon-forming earthquakes or a giant flood that forces survivors to drink their own urine? No, change is much too subtle for such Hollywood stunts."

Shego turned, looking out the window. The sun was rising and it was looking like it was going to be a gorgeous day for an outdoor ceremony. Good, because after a couple villain's blowing up the P.E. room on prom night, they really didn't have a choice… But Shego didn't look like she was contemplating the weather, or the state of the gymnasium.

"What do you think, Miss Go?" He asked. She turned back towards him slowly.

"Nah. I don't think humans are smart enough to blow up the whole earth at once; at best they'd get a couple of countries," she crossed her legs, "I'm starting to think it's relative. Just because one person's world is ending doesn't mean it's everyone's Armageddon," she met his eyes and he felt the sting of the pain behind them, "I think the end of my world's coming soon."

"Don't talk like that…" He murmured. She held up her hands.

"I'm not saying I'm gonna die or anything; I'll survive. I just won't come out unscathed," she shook her head, "Even if my brothers can't see the writing on the wall, I can. It's over for the team; we're done, replaced like Brittina by Miley Gomez. I can only hope I get my friends back after this."

"What are you talking about? What team?" Shego stared.

"You…don't know about me and my brothers? How could you not? We're all over the news!"

"I don't watch television," her eyes widened.

"You don't watch t.v.?"

"No, it's garbage." And he couldn't afford cable right now… She beamed.

"So you have no idea about what I do after school? About Team Go?"

"No. What's Team Go, a club?" She just grinned, chugging down her milk.

"This is anonymity? It's nice…" She concluded.

Dr. Lipsky glanced towards the door. The school's superintendent was standing there, tall, fat, balding, and frowning.

"How long did you think you could lie about your resume, _Mr._ Lipsky?" He asked. Drakken's heart pounded in his chest; his hands started to sweat. Shego glanced curiously at him, but he didn't look her in the eyes, "Doctor…what a hoot. You only did a couple semesters and dropped out."

It had finally happened; his past had caught up with him here. And Shego had witnessed it.

**END FLASHBACK**

Shego was drowning, suspended, disoriented. It was black and thick, like oil. She couldn't see or breathe, so she was forced to stay there, floating in nothing. She tried to think or reason, but words escaped her grasp. Without a future, without a past, she was…just there.

There was a murmur from beyond the abyss and she liked it. She liked that voice and the person it represented. Dr. D, yes, a connection! She tried to scream, to have him come and free her, but the oil silenced her.

The only external sign of her trying to answer Drakken was a twitch of her hand.

**III**

"…so that's my latest sketch of a plot. The pit of anacondas is negotiable, but not denying the people of the world their suntan lotion no matter how delicate their skin," he said firmly. She was silent, and he found himself longing for her sarcastic comments.

Her hand twitched. He stared and then slowly, a wide grin split his face as a few tears slipped out. Proof she was alive. No, proof she was fighting to come back to them.

**III**

Please keep the reviews coming. It's nice to know that somebody likes your stories (or thinks they're weird).


	4. Dark Sight of a Broken Soul

Disclaimer: Don't own Dr. Drakken or Shego. Or Team Go.

"_One question haunts and hurts. Too much, too much to mention. Was I really seeking good, or just seeking attention?_" ~Idina Menzel, "No Good Deed"

She should feel guilt. She knew she should, mostly because her studies of society told her so. But no matter how hard Tigress strived to muster up some scraps of remorse, she couldn't.

Five people, all super heroes, and retired at that. Two were minors; three of them had done nothing to her at all. For god's sake, she had _loved_ Hego.

She thought for a second she felt a twinge in her gut…but realized it was just hunger. She sighed, continuing to watch from her perch on the windowsill, eyes darting whenever she saw movement. This was her favorite view of the lair she had grown up in, giving the perfect view of their gravel driveway. The road seemed to disappear in the trees, a steep slope showing a good view of Go City. When she was younger she used to wait and wait for cars to drive up, feeling like a spy as she gathered information to shout to her unsuspecting mother: "It's your date! He drives a black Camero!" "Mama, Cassie's Dad's here to drop her off! I see a sleeping bag!" "Shit, get ready, it's the cops!"

Nowadays she just watched, and thought, not expecting cars. Cars rarely drove up here, this far into the mountains and so out of the way. The very name "Shego" aroused a growl in the back of her throat, her claws clench and her skin prickle. There were no words to describe the utter hatred she had for her.

She didn't mind when they were just little girls in elementary school; back then she relished the challenge of staying one step ahead and above the black-haired beauty. But the game turned ugly.

She doubted Shego even knew what she had done, but nonetheless she was subjected to Tigress's belief in the Hammurabi Code. An eye for an eye. A life for a life.

Revenge had cost her. It went against the silly villain code to kill; whom and the manner in which she had killed them were particularly heinous. So she was currently black-listed from the Black Market (pun not intended, but oddly amusing) and hardly any villain was talking to her.

Not even her own adopted sister.

And she felt nothing.

She had almost killed Shego before. That time had been more about kicking her while she was down, and enjoying an opportunity. Twice, now that she was thinking about it. But that first time…hearing her scream… It was delicious.

**FLASHBACK**

Tigress lay curled in the couch, deep in thought. The news had faded to background noise and flashing images; she had heard all she needed to know.

So this was how it ended, huh? Not in a final dramatic showdown, not in an eventual retirement due to old age… It ended in a news conference with Hego tearfully reading a pre-made speech about honor and justice. Of course she had heard the rumors floating around, but there it was in bold white letters across the bottom of the screen.

Fallen Heroes: Team Go Calls It Quits.

Christmas in July, how beautiful. All because of some up-and-coming all-American girl, though Hego was too gracious to admit it. Pathetic, both "teams".

Just the photos she had seen of this Kim Possible told her it was a downgrade. No powers besides cockiness and cheerleading stunts. Tigress could probably off her in time for lunch. It was too early in her career to give in, but this twit wasn't going to have the slightest clue of what she was dealing with.

In the midst of it all, though, there _was_ opportunity. Shego was about to throw in the towel as quickly as herself. Given the right circumstances and proper motivation, she'd wing it by herself. Then, she'd have the heroine all to herself, no interference from her brothers.

Perfect.

She unfurled herself and started towards the garage. Tonight was going to be a fun night.

**III**

Scaling the Go Tower was a piece of cake. Finding Shego's bedroom…less so.

She had a vague memory of the Go Tower layout. Business in the "O", pleasure in the "G", and she was pretty sure Shego's faced the ocean. Mild adhesives on a pair of gloves and boots helped her move smoothly up the side, her body pressed close to the building. The wind hardly deterred her; she had made sure to tie her hair back before beginning her ascent. Using the front door was too blatant for her taste.

A light flicked on as she passed by a window. She flattened, listening to the footsteps moving around the room. A shadow was cast on the wall and she recognized Hego's silhouette. She hung there, transfixed by his movements and quiet noise. She was tempted to rap on the window, or slip inside while his back was turned, surprise him with a grab of his as-

"Hey, honey… Yeah, it's been a long hard day… I'm glad to hear your voice though; it can get me through anything."

A flash flood of acidity washed through her stomach, burning her insides intensely. She wanted to throw up, but settled for a resentful grumble and continued her ascent.

Eventually she found the right room. "My Happy Ending" by Avril Lavigne was playing full blast as Shego lay on her stomach pouring out her feelings into a little diary. Tigress snorted. That was so like her to do something like this. Tigress slid open the window; strange that it wasn't locked. She crouched on the windowsill and waited to be noticed. Shego glanced up and glared at her. She slammed the journal shut and practically attacked the CD player off.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be off celebrating with your buddies about the defeat of _Team Go_?" She snapped, her hands lighting up. Tigress rolled her eyes.

"Take a chill pill drama queen. Most of the baddies are just as upset as you guys, if you can believe it. No one in this city wants Possible." Shego shot her a glare.

"So what, then? You come to try and kill me?" Tigress was tempted to take her up on it, but instead examined her glove.

"No, not this time. I just thought an in-person tip-off would be a bit more…personal."

"Tattletale-ing? That's unlike you," she muttered, looking suspicious at Tigress. Tigress shrugged.

"I'm feeling generous. It's a hostage situation, with… What's-his-face," she rubbed at her temples, "Geez, I'm having a hard time remembering… You know him, he was our science teacher back in freshman ye-"

"Dr. Lipsky," Shego snarled. Tigress snapped.

"That's the guy."

"If you touch one hair on his head-"

"Who said anything about it being me?" She grinned, "He's got a homing chip on him, so it shouldn't be hard, even for you. It'd be a shame if he died."

Shego lunged for Tigress, but she had anticipated this. She flung herself back, flipping once before freefalling into the inlet.

**END FLASHBACK**

She was snapped out of her trance by the sound of footsteps coming towards her. She didn't need to turn around, or even smell the air to know who it was.

"Have you heard from your sister?" Her heavy Russian accent asked. Tigress shook her head.

"Course not. I almost off-ed one of her best friends; she's not exactly going to call me up for a coffee date."

Tigress could see her mother's features as plainly as if she was standing in front of her; dressed in a three piece feminine suit and heels, the iron-straight brown hair that flipped at the end, the Barbie doll curves, the icy eyes… and the scar running down her right cheek.

"You know she was going to leave eventually. She never wanted this life to begin with, she just wanted an escape," she muttered. Miss Mistress shifted her weight.

"Are you concerned?"

"No." There was a gentle sigh, and a few steps closer.

"You don't have to lie to me, Hilary."

"I know, Mom," she leaned her head back, resting it against the frame, "She's a big girl now. She'll be fine."

"But will you be if you lose her?" She turned around and started back down the hall, "Unless you want to risk repercussions, you might want to go and finish the job with Cego. That is, if you have given up on making amends with Artemis," she advised.

As usual, her mother was the voice of logic. She was there, lying in a hospital bed in a coma; there'd be no better opportunity than this. Unless she wanted to be made into a throw rug, now was the time.

She stretched before heading to her bedroom. She turned, reaching for the keys on her dresser. There, right beside the dish that she emptied her pockets into, was a picture of her and Golden Arrow. She was hanging over the blonde, grinning. Golden Arrow had been caught in a laugh, looking up at Tigress. She stared at the picture as her fingers curled around the keys.

For the first time, Tigress wondered if killing Shego was worth losing her sister.

**FLASHBACK**

Dr. Lipsky didn't like this whole "hostage" business; chained to a chair waiting until someone came and saved him.

He kicked at the air. He had been minding his own business, watching some "Bill and Mace" reruns, when an arm had wrapped around his throat and cut off his air supply and circulation. He had struggled weakly, trying to yell, but eventually passed out, not even catching the perpetrator's face.

Now he was here, trapped and at the mercy of his kidnapper. This sucked almost as much as unemployment. Why had he lied about his degree and mastery of the Pig Latin language…?

A door opened and shut and he jumped, trying to peer through the dark room.

"She'll be here soon," A woman said calmly, walking towards and then past him. The voice seemed familiar… But his retention of names was questionable at best.

Silence returned, only punctuated with the sound of pages turning. She was reading, in the dark? Apparently her mother didn't teach her no better. What should he do? Strike up a conversation? Beg and plead? Try to escape somehow? But someone was coming for him… This was confusing.

There was a sharp cutting sound, like a knife on glass. The woman closed her book.

A soft thud like a landing and then the feeling that someone was running towards him.

"Dr. Lipsky?"

"Shego!"

"Shhh, not so loud." He felt her checking his restraints. She sighed, "Do me a favor."

"What?"

"Don't freak out."

Suddenly, there was a flash of green flames slashing him free and he shrieked. Not so much at their appearance (even though that was strange), but at the fact that her hands, her _bare hands_, were encased in them.

"I told you not to freak out," she grumbled, standing up.

"What was that?"

"I'm saving you, doi."

"No, not that, the, the…green stuff."

"Oh, yeah, I got hit by a comet when I was younger. Now come on-"

Shego grunted and collapsed.

"Fishy took the bait," The woman mocked. Shego got back to her feet.

"Fishy knows bait when fishy see bait."

Dr. Lipsky scrambled out of his seat as a fight broke out not a foot away from him. The green energy came back to Shego's hands, showing glimpses of the struggle. Shego's position, an arm or a foot being slashed at. It briefly illuminated the woman and he instantly recognized Hilary.

A door opened somewhere and Tigress snickered.

"That's my cue. We'll have to leave our grand finale until another time."

Dr. Lipsky erked as Tigress dashed his direction, barely swerving enough to avoid hitting him. Shego charged after, a hand raised for one more hit. Unfortunately, she didn't register him quick enough.

Dr. Lipsky screamed as razor sharp claws dug deeply into his cheek, ripping into it. Shego lost her balance and they both fell.

"Lipsky! I'm so sorry!"

The lights came on and he blinked in the sudden light. Warm blood was streaming down his face and Shego was on top of him, looking horrified at the gash.

"Game's over. Put your hands up and step away from Dr. Lipsky!" A child's voice called. They both turned, confused.

A preteen redhead with her hair pulled back stood with her hands on her hips, faded freckles on her cheeks and braces on her teeth. A lanky boy stood nearby, not nearly as confident as his counterpart. Shego scowled.

"Listen here, princess. He's _my_ hostage to save. You go back to your playground while the big kids handle this."

"We got an anonymous tip that a hero had gone rogue and had kidnapped the famous Pig Latinist Dr. Lipsky." …would that haunt him the rest of his life? Shego rolled her eyes.

"Please why would I kidnap a… Pig Latinist? Seriously," Dr. Lipsky started to feel warm. Externally warm, "The girl you're looking for is Tigress and she's…" Shego looked around, "…gone."

"We weren't born yesterday!" The boy quipped.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to use force," the girl remarked.

She started cartwheeling towards them, ending her display with a roundhouse kick to Shego's head. Shego was knocked off of him and the redhead started pulling him across the floor.

"Ron, borrow Mrs. Smithfield's phone, he's bleeding." Honestly, the river of blood down one side of his face wasn't what he was concerned about. The warmth on his clothes was fading and when he glanced down, he realized he was covered in blood that wasn't his.

"Shego!"

She had sustained more injury than he thought, her shirt torn up and dyed brilliant red. She was curled around her torso on the ground, fetus style, as a small pool started to form under her. He thrashed around.

"No, no Shego! SHEGO!"

"It's alright, doctor, you're going to be safe," The teen said cheerily, neither of the pair glancing back at the raven-haired woman. He shook his head, starting to cry.

"Maybe he got that one disease, Stuckhome's syndrome." The blonde boy offered.

He was taken to the Go City hospital, where his cut was stitched up. He slipped out as soon as he could, leaving the stitches in.

Hego had noticed Shego's absence and found her barely conscious in an old building on the bad side of town. He took her home and her brothers tended to her wounds, berating her all the while for trying to go it alone.

To this day, Drakken wondered how Kim Possible didn't recognize him or Shego. Perhaps it was because Shego's hair had been back in a low ponytail. Maybe it was because he hadn't been blue. Either way, the daughter of one of his ex-college friends didn't recognize them when they met again a year or two later.

**FLASHBACK END**

No one paid any attention to the completely covered young woman, hands in pockets, sweatshirt hood concealing her face, as she made her way through the hospital. No one noticed the lump running down one pant leg, and no one thought anything of the nurse suddenly breaking out into a sneezing fit, even if her allergy was cats.

It struck her odd that an ex-heroine had no security; is this how the city thanked Team Go for their efforts to keep it safe? It was like an arch enemy with a grudge could just stroll right in. Which was exactly what Tigress did.

"Hello, poppet," she cooed, sinking down on the bed beside Shego. She shook off the hood, her hands sliding out of her pockets, "War Hawk's on duty, and your blue boy's getting something to eat, so it's just you and me. Girl talk."

She leaned over Shego, her sharp nails gliding softly over Shego's jugular.

"You're so helpless right now… It's adorable. I could rip your throat out and leave you hemorrhaging without you giving the slightest resistance," she mused before chuckling, "Don't worry, darling; I'm not going to kill you here. Not like this."

She cupped Shego's chin, tilting her head as if trying to force her to look into her eyes. She leaned close enough to feel Shego's shallow breath on her fur.

"No, you listen here; I'm pulling for you. I want you to wake up. No, I _need_ you to wake up," she murmured, "And when you wake up, I pray that you remember everything. I want you to remember the dead bodies of your family all around, how you screamed for them to get up, how hard you sobbed when you realized it was far too late, and the fear in your eyes when I came up next to you, the crowbar raised and ready to hit you as hard as I could. By the way, that hit felt _incredible_."

Her lips curled as her teeth clenched tightly, her eyes glaring at Shego's eyelids.

"I want that scene to haunt you the rest of your life, even while you sleep. I want you to beat yourself up over it, and blame yourself, lamenting that if you had only been there a liiiittle sooner you could've saved them. Then…maybe you will finally begin to understand the pain I've been carrying for twelve fucking years."

She released Shego, pulling back and relaxing.

"But, if I know you like I think I do, you won't understand the meaning behind my rather philosophical revenge. You'll just see it as me torturing you as painfully as possible. But if you do get it…" she tapped Shego's nose with her pointer finger, "You'll beg for me to kill you to get rid of the pain. And after a week or two of letting you suffer… I will. Because I do have a heart, whatever its state," she stood up, flipping her hood back on, "Until then, ciao, bitch."

She stuck her hands into her pockets and wandered out.

She passed the man known to most as Dr. Drakken as he came out of the elevator. She had never been comfortable about his existence; his freakishly small hands, long face, and faux mullet reminded her too much of someone else she hated just about as much as Shego. He was a miserable excuse of a villain, like an inventor determined his stupid product would sell if he was persistent enough. She couldn't figure out what he did besides come up with asinine plots and long-winded monologues.

He nodded to her in greeting, unsuspecting of who she was as he continued on his way back to his little mint delight's room. She smirked; he was far too good to be evil.

**III**

"Alright, Shego, I brought you back something. If you wake up, you can have this yummy chocolate pudding," he bribed, setting it on the table. He glanced up at the heart rate monitor and his gut dropped.

Her normal heart rate was a little less than 60 bpm. It was almost up to 80 now, the machine's beeps sounding urgent with their increased frequency.

"Did you have a bad dream? It's okay, you're alright," he murmured quickly, stroking her hair. It didn't slow.

With a deep blush, Drakken got in beside her, curled up at her side.

"See? I'm right here, literally. Nothing's going to harm you, not while I'm around…" Deciding that even in sleep she wouldn't appreciate a show tune he shut up, resting his head on her chest as he stroked her side. If she was conscious, she would've incinerated him for even touching her. Maybe there really was always a silver lining.

After a few minutes, her heart rate went back down to normal. The combination of the steady heartbeat, her rhythmic breathing, and their shared body heat caused him to drift off.

Please review.


	5. The End of One Life

Disclaimer: I don't own Shego, Kim, Ron, Aviarius or Drakken. Wish I did, but doesn't everyone?

_"I was much further out than you thought. And not waving but drowning."_ "Not Waving but Drowning", by Stevie Smith.

"_Now_ what are we going to do? Our whole platform was built upon defeating Team Go…and ensuring avian rights, but primarily defeating Team Go."

"Didn't we win, then?" War Hawk asked, tucking her legs underneath her in the lounge chair.

"You can hardly call it winning if they give up," Aviarius scoffed. He was sitting in his favorite faux tree, scratching his pet condor's scalp. She'd be the first in line to argue that condors did not "coo", but she was making some sort of happy noise.

"Can't we just swear vengeance on this Team Possible?" Or give up altogether? He frowned.

"Swearing vengeance isn't something you do lightly, hummingbird. It's the most sacred oath a villain can make," War Hawk shrugged.

"Sorry, I went to public school."

The phone rang and War Hawk sighed, getting up and checking the caller i.d. Her eyebrows furrowed. Why would any of them use the home phone, knowing the risks…?

"I've gotta take this," she said, picking up the cordless. Aviarius's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Is it a _boy_?"

"Hello?"

"She's gone, I don't know where, she's just gone." War Hawk blinked, before excusing herself to her room.

"Hego, baby, you need to calm down, I can't understand you," she murmured, cradling the phone as if she were holding him. Hego took a ragged breath on the other side.

"Shego got hurt yesterday. Very badly. Tigress. Mom was on the phone with Dad tonight…there was yelling and screaming… I got everyone away, everyone except for Shego… She went up to her room, then dinner… Knocked a dozen times…"

"Are you sure? She might've just left to go cool off, you know how she is."

"No, not this time. Her suit's gone, half her clothes… Anything important… She didn't even say goodbye."

"Don't worry, Hego, we'll find her. She's just upset, you know that."

"…you're right. I'm probably exaggerating," he admitted slowly, not seeming to mean it.

War Hawk hung up and went into the tech room, going to a chair and donning a head set. She flicked it on and started pressing buttons, lighting up as they were pressed. In the headset, she heard beeps as the other lines connected; Mischief first, then Artica, then Golden Arrow, and finally Metaphor.

"Hey, Hawkie, what's up?" Mischief asked.

"Hego just called; Shego's gone AWOL."

"…so? She's a big girl," Artica muttered.

"He said she took a lot of stuff with her. Suitcase, clothes… It sounds like she's running away."

"'bout time," Golden Arrow grunted. War Hawk sighed.

"It's more serious than that. Tigress apparently tore her up pretty bad and she's angr-"

A blaring siren made her cringe, the other girls yelling and cursing.

"SORRY!" War Hawk shouted. Stupid intruder alert…

Aviarius came running in as she whirled around. There was nothing to see on the screen besides the woods behind the lair. Aviarius quickly shut it off.

"What was that about? A raccoon crossed your yard?" Metaphor asked.

"I dunno, Dad's checking the tapes." War Hawk didn't have the heart to tell them _how_ of her glove, and she was rarely so sloppy. Why would she be purposely triggering their alarm? "Anyway, you guys wanna help calm her down?"

There was an awkward silence on the other lines.

"…I just got a chemical shipment and I don't want Simile getting into it," Metaphor murmured.

"I need to work out the hang-ups in this new virus," Artica stated.

"I need to…clean my refrigerator…and sock drawer," Mischief said slowly.

Three lights went out simultaneously. The only button still glowing was Golden Arrow's.

"Hon, let's be honest. Until Tigress gives the okay no one's going to help out a Go, regardless of their retirement," she insisted. War Hawk sighed.

"Yeah I guess… I dunno, I suppose I'm under the crazy impression that friends _aren't_ fair weather and help each other when they need it," War Hawk disconnected before Golden Arrow could respond.

"I don't see what set off the alarm…" Aviarius admitted slowly. War Hawk put her headset aside.

"I'll go check it out," she offered.

"Be careful, chickadee."

She rolled her eyes as she walked away. That was her father; one minute convinced it's Team Go to foil their schemes, the next warning her as though he was expecting an axe murderer to be waiting to kill her.

**III**

Drakken's breath caught in his throat. At first he thought he had imagined it, but he realized he couldn't make this up. Shego's eyelids were fluttering and soft noises were coming past her lips.

He set the paper he had been glancing through aside, watching her with rapt attention.

She'd be okay. She would be alright.

**FLASHBACK**

Unable to go to sleep, Dr. Lipsky passed his time with glancing through the classifieds. Dog walker, no. Bueno Nacho cashier, no. House maid…maybe. He jumped at the sudden ring and glanced at the clock. Who in their right mind would call him at 1 o'clock in the morning? Was it Mother? He picked it up cautiously.

"Hello?"

"Dr. Lipsky…" It wasn't a question. He furrowed his eyebrow.

"Shego, what's wrong?" She took a shaky breath.

"Remember back to our first after-school meeting? When you offered me a ride?"

"Yes."

"…I need that ride now."

He drove his truck down to the docks. A woman stood, leaning over the railing, her black hair down and billowing in the wind. She turned as he parked, picking up a suitcase and backpack. It was an odd outfit she was wearing; a skin-tight black-and-green suit with a harlequin-esque design. She slid into the passenger seat.

"Hey, Dr. L. Sorry for the early hour."

"It's no problem, I was up anyway," he glanced down at her midriff, "Are you…alright?"

"No, no I'm not," she followed his line of sight, "Oh, the slice-and-dice from Miss Kitty? Yeah, that healed up overnight."

"How…?"

"Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to. It's in the same stream as the glowing hands thing." Oh… Well, he figured she didn't want to talk about that.

He put the truck back into drive and pulled away from the curb.

"So…where do you need to go?" She gazed thoughtfully at the horizon.

"Go Mountain."

"Go…Mountain? Why?"

"…I've got some unfinished business, loose ends to tie up before I go." He pulled away from the curb, making his way to the back roads of the city.

"So…you're leaving?" He guessed.

"Yeah… I'm leaving," A smile crossed her face, "I'm leaving Go City." She sounded relieved.

"Well, um, good for you," Dr. Lipsky said, "…do you mind if I ask why the sudden departure?" She leaned back, gazing out the window.

"Like I told you, my world ended. My largest obligation fell through, so now I'm free to start my life. I've got a high school diploma, a driver's license, a little bit of cash and a lot of skills to put to use."

"Won't your family miss you?" He asked. She frowned.

"They'll be better off without me," she said icily.

It had been an unspoken agreement not to bring up her family; anytime he had asked she had frozen him out in the past. It seemed like a touchy subject with her. She closed her eyes, resting her head against the glass.

"Part of me wishes this was all just one big nightmare, that I'll wake up sometime before Kim came into the picture, before Tigress started isolating me and making my life hell… I just want something resembling normal," she smirked, "Who am I kidding? I've never had a shot of being normal," she sat up again, "I'm just a plane without the strength to pull up from a nose dive."

They left the city behind, heading into the foothills. Dr. Lipsky flicked his brights on, glancing every once in a while at Shego.

"What are you going to do then?" He finally asked. She shrugged.

"I'll figure it out after this errand. All I know is that I'm not going back home."

**END FLASHBACK**

People were bound to ask her about how Shego was doing. That was the duty of the best friend, wasn't it? Answer the questions, help them out, be the keeper… But she clammed up whenever someone asked…especially if it was one of the villainesses.

That was the hardest, because not only did she have nothing to say, but she wanted to scream at them. Where had they been when she needed them most, and why did they care now? Yeah, most of their distance was because of fear of what Tigress would do if they were caught, but she had risked that wrath. Her dad was doing just as good as ever.

She slipped into the same hospital room, only this time something had changed. Drakken beamed up at her as she looked down at Shego.

"…her head's turned to the side," she said slowly as she realized the first difference in Shego's position in a couple weeks.

"That wasn't me," he remarked slyly.

**FLASHBACK**

War Hawk was nervous; Shego had made her path all too obvious. Carelessness…or did she want to be followed? She glanced back and noticed a truck in their driveway. It wasn't Hego's…what was going on? She slipped after Shego, catching up to her fairly quickly.

She looked resigned, walking as though to the gallows. She was in her suit, loosely following the only road this far up in the mountains. There was also something tense about her, a spring ready to jump.

After a good half hour or so, she turned down a gravel path, her hands lighting up. War Hawk gasped as a ranch style layer came into view.

"Shego, no!" She lunged towards her. Shego pulled away, not looking surprised at all at her sudden appearance.

"This is something I've got to do," she said coolly.

"No you don't! You don't have to prove anything to anyone!"

"Except myself," Shego glared at War Hawk, "Hego wants to fade out, slip away quietly and submissively. I _refuse_ to go silently into the night; all I want is one more time," she pleaded.

Shocking her, she suddenly pulled War Hawk into a hug.

"You've been the best friend a girl could ask for," she murmured before pulling away, continuing towards the lair.

War Hawk practically saw Shego trip a wire as she walked onto the lawn. Her hands flared up again as she shouted.

"Hey, Tigger! You ran away like a scared lil pussycat yesterday! What's wrong, you afraid of lil old me?" A mad grin spread across Shego's face, one hand swatting the air, "Come on! You wanted to go, let's _go_! Curtain time, here and now, the grand finale like you said!" The front door opened and Tigress sauntered out, her skimpy faux-costume on. Her grin was downright sinister.

"I wasn't sure if you'd recover from yesterday; you got your butt handed to you."

"Oh I'm fine. Takes a lot more than that to keep me down," Tigress was picking up speed, fingers arched like talons at her sides. Shego brought her glowing hands in front of her.

"Leave her alone! She's having a hard time!" War Hawk shouted, cutting between the two of them, "Don't you have any compassion?" War Hawk could see the train wreck coming and she couldn't stand the thought of what would happen to Shego. They both wanted blood, and Tigress wouldn't stop until she was dead.

A swift roundhouse kick knocked the air out of her gut and she fell onto her back. Shego was already charging to avenge the hit and War Hawk watched in horror as the fight started. It was too late to stop the wreck.

**III**

Dr. Lipsky fidgeted. He played with his air freshener. He organized the glove compartment. Shego still didn't return.

She had told him to stay, that'd she be right back. She had left her belongings in the truck…but he still had a bad feeling about her super secret mission. Especially after spotting Miss Barrack following after her.

He turned the truck back on and spun it around, leaving the Nest. Why had Shego wanted to go to an abandoned aviary anyway? He drove slowly down the road, glancing for signs of where Shego had disappeared to.

A flurry of motion caught his attention. A good fifty feet up on the steep face of the cliff, he saw flashes of green and orange in the moonlight. He got out of the truck, staring as they came dangerously close to falling. Their footing was hazardous at best, but they were determined. Chloe wasn't too far away, pacing frantically at the top as though looking for a way down.

The ground slipped out from underneath Shego's feet. Dr. Lipsky's heart soared as Tigress caught her by the shoulders, keeping her from falling by pinning her to the rock. The act of compassion towards a rival was heartwarming. She leaned down towards Shego's ear and whispered something to her. Shego scowled, trying to get back up.

Dr. Lipsky gasped as Tigress started slamming her head against the rock. Two, three, four, five, five times. Then, he screamed as she threw Shego down the side of the cliff with all of her might. Her body flipped over and over, tumbling through the air and gaining speed before landing with a sickening thud.

War Hawk's scream joined his, shrill like the wail of a banshee.

"YOU MONSTER!"

He felt like he was running through water up to his hips as he sprinted towards Shego. Blood was pooling underneath her at an alarming rate… He turned her softly onto her back as War Hawk landed beside him, wings folding back into her skin. Odd as it was, Dr. Lipsky took it in stride in light of the current circumstances.

"Is she…"

"She's breathing," he informed her, "But we need to get her medical attention, immediately." War Hawk nodded.

They helped carry the body into the bed of the truck and War Hawk crouched beside her, like an anguished guardian angel as Dr. Lipsky drove. He wasn't sure they'd make it to the hospital… But his house wasn't far from here.

Tigress watched the scene from the top of the cliff, a proud smirk on her face. It had been a hard landing; several bones had probably been broken, and a hella lot of blood was being lost. She'd give her until morning, if the internal bleeding wasn't too bad.

**End Flashback**

The liquid-y haze was lifting, lightening in its darkness. She felt herself rising towards the surface, slowly but surely. A veil lifted and though it was blurry, she saw figures. Two, one pale with long black hair and one blue with a shaggy mullet. She blinked lazily, focusing on the nearest one, the blue.

A faint recollection pulsed through her conscious; who he was and some warmth within her, an emotion. Care, she cared about him, deeply.

Her lips parted and a breath escaped. The breath wove through her vocal chords in a unique combination and as faint as a memory, a word slipped out.

"Doctor..."

**III**

Please review. Sorry I haven't updated in a few days, but I was trying to make it as good as possible. I do have a life outside of Fanfiction. (A/N, 10/11: Geez, how self important does this sound? Guess I had a bit of an ego…)


	6. The Next Chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own Shego or Drakken.

_"I saved everything, but you."_ Deric Ruttan's "I Saved Everything"

Dr. Lipsky wasn't sure why he hadn't taken the pair of them to the hospital. Maybe because of his bad experience yesterday, or because his rented house was much closer. Maybe he was scared that giving her up meant he couldn't save her from death.

Chloe and he worked her over as she lay across his couch; that would be hard to sell if he couldn't get the blood stains out. Splints were made, bandages wrapped and vitals checked constantly. Her stability was sporadic at best, and she refused to wake.

It was the longest night of Drew Lipsky's life.

"You should sleep," he murmured as dawn came. She shook her head.

"I'm not waking up until-" She was cut off by a soft moan.

They turned to look as Shego adjusted, her eyes flicking open. They breathed a sigh of relief, even as Shego's face twisted in pain.

"What happened? Where am I?"

"You're at my place," Dr. Lipsky said. She shot a confused look to War Hawk, who nodded.

"Tigress…" She started. Shego frowned, the single word triggering all of last night's events.

"I lost," she said flatly.

"You lost," she responded. Shego cringed and War Hawk stood, "You'll need something for the pain. What have you got, Dr. Lipsky?"

"There's some ibuprofen in the medicine cabinet. I don't have anything stronger," he apologized. She left the two of them alone.

Their eyes met.

"So…how bad am I, doc?"

"Pretty bad. I'm pretty sure you're going to live, but you're not going to be fighting anytime soon. A lot of broken bones, a lot of blood loss…you're lucky to be alive," she smirked.

"Am I?" Her eyes glanced away, "…how on earth am I going to be able to look at you, knowing that I'm the reason you've got that scar?" Dr. Lipsky touched his cheek lightly. Odd, he had forgotten about it altogether.

"Because you know I know it was just an accident," he murmured. He jutted his chin up in the air, "Besides, I think it makes me look rather roguish and good-looking, don't you think?" She wrinkled her nose.

"Whatever you say, Dr. L." Maybe he should keep it…scars _were_ sexy, after all.

He sighed.

"Once you're stable enough, I'll drive you back home, alright?"

Shego glared at him. He shied back, feeling like he was going to drop dead from it.

"I already told you, I'm not going back, and I'm sure as heck not going to do it with my tail tucked between my legs. They'd kill me if they knew what I did," she closed her eyes, "There's nothing for me here…"

"…where are you going to go then?" She grinned.

"Wherever I want."

"What are you doing to do?"

"Whatever I want," the grin turned upside down, "I'm done with playing by the rules, being who I should be rather than who I want to be."

"So…how are you going to go about doing this?" He asked curiously. She bit her lip.

"…it's a work in progress," she admitted. She opened her eyes again, "Plans are for fools anyway. Crap happens, and the plan falls to pieces. So…maybe I'm going for a spur-of-the-moment whatever-whenever-I-feel-like life."

"Sounds nice," he said honestly, grinning.

War Hawk returned with a few pills in her hand, a glass of the water in the other.

"Bottoms up, Miss Dark Vigilante," Shego groaned, taking a swig of water with the ibuprofen.

"I swear, I'm never saving anyone again after that fiasco… Remind me to kill Tigress once I'm better."

"I will," she promised, taking Shego's hand and squeezing it, "I'm glad you pulled through."

"You doubted me?"

"Girl, you didn't see yourself. I've seen better murder victims," she let go of her hand and stood, "I need to go home. Dad's going to think I got killed or something."

"Are you sure you'll be alright? You didn't sleep at all," Dr. Lipsky insisted. War Hawk smirked.

"I'll sleep in my own bed. Call me if anything changes," she said, walking away.

Dr. Lipsky pursed his lips, a wry expression on his face.

"Taking the bus or are you flying?" She looked shocked, then blushed as she realized she had revealed her secret last night.

"Flying," she admitted.

"Don't get caught in traffic. I've heard noon is prime seagull commuting time," she giggled.

Shego tried to prop herself on her elbows and hissed, collapsing again. She settled for turning her head, "Chloe!"

War Hawk paused, "Yeah, Shego?"

"…I love you, you bird-brain backstabber. It's been one crazy ride, but you're still my BFF," War Hawk smiled.

"Same here. I love you too, you insane glowing-handed freak." And, with that odd exchange of affection, War Hawk left.

Dr. Lipsky rested his hand on her good thigh.

"And I am quite fond of you, my misbehaving ex-student." Her hands lit up.

"We ain't that close yet, Doc."

**End Flashback**

The nurses assured him that it was normal for them to take awhile to wake up. She had been moving around for hours, twisting and turning as though trying to get comfortable with her conscious state. War Hawk and Drakken watched her with breathless anticipation.

Finally, her eyelids opened. She stared, unfocused, for a good minute, then those beautiful, wonderful green eyes flicked towards Drakken. Her chapped lips (despite War Hawk doing her best to apply lip balm on them often) parted and a breath of a word slipped out.

"Doc…tor…"

His heart pounded as he glanced around for a "call nurse" button, but then he saw her eyes again, warming as her lips curled up towards a smile. She wasn't asking for assistance; she was greeting him.

He wasn't ashamed of the tears that slipped down his cheeks. He took her hand and squeezed it.

"Yes, Shego, I'm here." She was so fragile… Like a spider's web. But her smile was so full of warmth, of happiness, of _life._

Then, her face contorted, scrunching up as her nails dug into the bed. She barred her teeth and screamed. Bloody murder/wounded animal scream, high and pained. War Hawk was out the door instantly, shrieking for help.

"SHEGO!"

Her body convulsed, shuddering and jerking violently. Then, she fell back, eyes unseeing yet her body absolutely still.

"SHEGO!" He screamed, grabbing for her and trying to perform CPR between sobs.

The peaks went from consistent to sporadic, and then finally the bright green line went and stayed flat with a prolonged scream of its own.

**Flashback**

Dr. Lipsky was surprised to find Shego up and running the next morning.

Literally.

He had told her that what was his was hers too, and it looked like she had taken the liberty of using his treadmill. She was running faster than he could when chasing after the ice cream truck, huffing with every other stride. He went over and ripped out the emergency stop card and she paused, riding the belt before hopping off.

"Morning, Dr. L," she gasped, grinning at him.

"Shego, what on earth are you doing?"

"Running on the treadmill. I hate lazy days."

"You need some lazy days, lazy weeks even! You broke _bones_, not a fingernail!" She shrugged, as though what had happened the other day was no big deal.

"I'm fine; you worry too much."

"You aren't worrying enough!" Shego sighed.

"I'm all healed up. Look," she said, pulling her shirt up. On instinct, he turned away and covered his eyes. She cleared her throat and he glanced at her bared midriff.

He gasped.

"It's…"

"…healed? I've already told you, it's with the glowing hands," she said, dropping her shirt back down.

There were still marks, but faded, as though it had been weeks since the incident. She was moving all of her body, regardless of what was supposed to be broken.

"I never imagined it would apply to major injuries…"

"Neither did the research and development branch at the hospital," she shook her head, "I'm not the idiot you take me for."

"I never said you were. I was just concerned."

She waltzed over to the couch, plopping down on it.

"I'll be out of your hair by tomorrow; I just need a few more hours to work out the fine points of how I'm getting out of dodge."

"I don't want you out of my hair," he insisted. She glanced at him, arching an eyebrow. He took a seat on the opposite side of the couch, "Not without knowing you'll be alright."

"I'm not your job."

"No, but I care about you," she smirked, "I do! Not in a gross way, but… Like a friend."

She leaned back in her seat, picking at the fuzz on the couch.

"I know what I'm going to do," she announced.

"Oh, what?"

"I'm not sure if I should. I don't want your panties to get in a bunch."

"Just tell me," he said exasperatedly.

She met his eyes, a mischievous glint in them as she grinned.

"I'm going to be going into the super villain business." Dr. Lipsky stared at her, trying to figure out if she was serious or not.

"You're…going to become…a villain," he said slowly. She nodded.

"Technically a villainess, but yeah. I've got a very unique set of skills…and I'd kill myself if I had to sit behind a desk five days a week from nine to five. It's actually quite a lucrative industry as long as you don't get caught."

Dr. Lipsky wanted to say something sarcastic. He wanted to rant about how that was the stupidest idea he had ever heard, how dangerous it was and how she'd regret it someday. But, watching her, he realized it was her dream. Well, maybe not the evil part, but the fight, the freedom, the ability to travel… She was watching for his reaction veeeery carefully, poised like a cat.

He straightened, clearing his throat.

"Well, there isn't any time to waste then. I'm not sure how fast I can sell the apartment, but packing should be pretty quick," she narrowed her eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

"You honestly think I'd let you leave without helping you. I've seen your grades, Shego, and I'm very concerned about you going out on your own. Besides…" He puffed out his chest, "Maybe _I _don't want to be stuck behind a desk either."

She smiled. Not a smirk of amusement, or a frown showing her disapproval. There was something to that smile…as though she was glad to have company on her exodus.

"Or maybe you're such a wash-up no one will hire you," she flicked a piece of fuzz onto the ground, "I guess you could tag along."

"Tag _along_? No, if anything I'll be the leader. Age before beauty, after all." She rolled her eyes, turning away from him.

"Whatever you say, Doctor."

"Speaking of doctor, I need a good pseudonym. Dr. Lipsky just doesn't quite strike fear into the hearts of the nations. I need something powerful, and awe inspiring. Like…dragon. Or the Kraken. No, no, no, more like…if a dragon and a kraken had a baby, _I_ would be that baby, that's how imposing I would be."

"So you want to be a…Drakken?"

"Drakken, yes, that has a ring to it…" Shego just shook her head.

It didn't start with being picked on in middle school. It didn't start with robots and being a college drop-out. No, the fearsome Doctor Drakken was born when a hero fell and he wanted to protect her.

**End Flashback**

A blood clot. That's what the doctors said killed her. A blood clot…as if her blood was waiting for the opportune moment to get together and destroy her.

They said they had done all they could to save her. He thought they were a bunch of disgusting liars who didn't deserve their medical degrees.

It had been two weeks since he returned to the lair… Seventeen days since the funeral. He felt like a piece of Styrofoam in the middle of the ocean, floating aimlessly and lost without her. She had been his rock…he didn't know rocks could die.

The funeral was a blur. Faces, lots of faces, with lots of expressions. Confusion, pain, numbness, disbelief, anger… He had seen them on a lot of faces. Chloe herself was stoic, the pair of them acting as Shego's next-of-kin. She was never farther than arm's length from her father, who looked baffled at the death of Shego.

Even Kim Possible had shown up with the buffoon…why were they there? It wasn't like they cared.

He dragged his feet up the stairs. She was supposed to wake up. She was supposed to be fine. They were supposed to take over the world. They were supposed to live happily ever after. Then again, maybe being with her brothers again, resting in peace, maybe that was her happy ending… She had been strong for a very, very long time.

Shego would've been ashamed of him. He had thrown himself at the coffin as they were about to lower it, sobbing and screaming like a child.

"No, you can't! You can't bury her! No! Don't take her away! Please, God!"

Cousin Eddy had to pull him away from the black coffin. Then he ran. He ran through the streets, paying no mind to traffic, other people or much of anything. He ran all the way to the high school.

Shego wouldn't've believed it, even if she was watching from heaven. He didn't believe it himself, how he had shattered the windows and broken into his old room. How he threw beakers against the wall and overturned desks…he even smashed the faucets to the lab sinks. Then, after all that, he left an apology note on the crumpled teacher's desk.

He scratched at his cast. Four more weeks until his broken hand would heal, supposedly. No one knew how long it would take for his heart to heal, though, and he was more concerned about that.

He tensed up as he entered the forbidden den…then laughed. It wasn't like she was going to come out of nowhere and attack him for going through her things. It wasn't like she had gone on vacation, or was on a short term contract with another villain. She was gone, permanently.

He didn't want to go through her stuff…but it had to be done. He was moving out of this lair, and setting up residence in the Go Tower. War Hawk had agreed to it; she didn't have any use for a fortress. Besides, the memory was too painful for her. Him? It felt like he was paying tribute to them.

There was an envelope on her bed. Dr. Drakken walked over and was surprised to see it addressed to "Dr. D/Dr. L/Drewbie". He picked it up, glanced both ways as if it was a trap, and tore it open. He almost started crying at the vision of her slanted neat handwriting, just staring at it for a minute before reading.

_Heya,_

_I feel stupid for writing this…in fact if I come back I'll probably burn it and forget all about it. But I've got this nagging feeling about going home and with as many enemies as I've got, it never hurts to be cautious._

_It's been a wild ride, hasn't it, you and me? We've been through so much together…it's incredible. I still don't know how you managed to put up with me for all of this; contrary to popular belief I'm not the easiest person to get along with. But you stayed by my side; longer than my friends, longer than even my family. Thanks._

_Yanno, I could've made a killing if I went it alone. You've got horrible plans, and you've never been able to pay me much. But that doesn't matter. Money doesn't matter, at all, in the end. I'm glad you came with me; you gave my little temper tantrum rebellion thing meaning. You were the best thing about the switch to evil._

_I love you, Dr. D. Maybe not in a Romeo and Juliet way, but you've been the one guy I could count on, and I trust you so much._

_I needed to get that off my chest, because you deserve those words. I'm just not a gushy girl, as you probably figured out. Maybe I'll cut and paste some of these words, take out the whole doomsday feeling and hide the rest of the letter somewhere for you to find._

_If I do croak, don't blame yourself. It's my fault for never being able to turn down a challenge. If someone's trying to hurt my brothers, I'll fight until my last breath. Never being able to tap out has always been my weakness and my strength, but you probably know that._

_Huh… I just realized that I've been ready to die since that night up in the mountains. Not in a morbid suicide way, but in a Zen Buddhist monk way. I've let go of my regrets and lived like every day was my last. So if I die, I hope you realize it's not something horrible; it's just another part of life. We can only avoid fate for so long._

_Give War Hawk a hug for me, and my brothers too. And punch Kimmi in the gut for being such a sucky heroine. _

_One last thing; you know that discussion we had during senior breakfast? About the end of the world? I still think that it's relative. So I want you to keep it in your head that the end of my world doesn't mean that it's the end of your world._

_Translation: You finish what we started. Or I will haunt the frick out of you._

_Love-in-an-appropriate-way,_

_Shego_

Tears splattered the paper as he started to sob, collapsing to the ground. Of course, it would be just like her to ask of him the most impossible thing.

"…but you _were_ my world, Shego…"

**THE END**

Hope you liked it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Sorry I killed Shego. If you want to know more about the Villainesses, Sleepover would be the best story to explain them. Break Away and The Halloween Heist also have War Hawk and Tigress co-starring. Okay, that's about all. Review, please.

A/N 10/11: And so, everything changes…except for the fact that Shego dies. I feel bad about the message in the original, about how death brings peace and such. Even if it does, it came across as very… I dunno. It was a rough time in my personal life. I hope you still enjoy it.


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